The invention disclosed and claimed herein generally pertains to an improved food serving tray or plate which is intended for use with a separate container for a beverage or other edible food item. More particularly, the invention pertains to a serving tray of the above type wherein a user, by employing only a single hand, can firmly and conveniently support and carry both the tray and container.
There are numerous instances of food service wherein (1) one or more food items are served together with a beverage, and (2) it is convenient or essential for the recipient of the food items and beverage to be able to keep one of his or her hands free for some purpose. For example, it is a nearly universal practice, at many parties and other social functions, to serve food items on a plate, along with a beverage in a separate vessel or container. If a table or other horizontal supporting surface is not available, a recipient may try using the hand holding the beverage container to move food from the plate to his or her mouth. As an alternative practice, a recipient may attempt to balance the beverage container on the plate, in order to free his or her other hand for eating or other purpose, such as opening a door or shaking hands with another person. These practices tend to be very awkward, and frequently result in spillage and other undesirable consequences. Problems of the above type are also encountered at many sporting and other entertainment events where refreshments are served.
Fast food restaurants, particularly those having "drive-through" capability, provide a further example of food service having the dual characteristics set forth above. In such restaurants a motor vehicle is driven up to a window through which food is served. A typical order includes food items such as hamburgers, french fries, tacos, or the like, and a beverage such as a milk shake, carbonated beverage, or coffee. Frequently the vehicle driver, particularly if he or she is alone, will find it necessary to hold both the food and the beverage with one hand, while keeping the other hand free for further vehicle operation.
Prior art serving trays for supporting and carrying both food items and a separate beverage container or the lids for the beverage container are exemplified by patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,820 issued on Oct. 29, 1991 to Boerner; U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,373 issued on Jul. 3, 1990 to McKee; U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,274 issued on Mar. 22, 1988 to Bouton; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,737 and 5,176,283 and 5,292,028, respectively issued on Oct. 22, 1991, Jan. 5, 1993 and Mar. 8, 1994 to Patterson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,151 issued on Oct. 31, 1989 to Rush; U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,255 issued on Jan. 31, 1995 to Varano; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,154 issued on Jul. 23, 1996 to Von Holdt.
There are many different inventions for a tray or beverage lid. The Bouton invention (U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,274) discloses a portable tray table with reference to arm support. The McKee invention (U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,373) describes a plate which interfaces with the beverage container utilizing a press fit V-type gripping relationship. The Boerner invention (U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,820) refers to a tray which interfaces with a beverage container via extendible arms for stabilizing the assembly. The Patterson inventions (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,737, 5,176,283 and 5,292,028) disclose plates or trays that interface with beverage containers via clips or channels. Some of the previous inventions will be further delineated in the following text.
The McKee invention utilizes a beverage container with specific regard to the "top and bottom" portions from which to interface with the McKee invention. The invention describes a press fit gripping relationship between the plate and the beverage container. McKee further delineates the invention with reference to an inverted V-type interface between the plate and the cup. The McKee invention cites materials for use with specific regard to injection molding.
McKee's invention requires a press fit gripping relationship between the plate and the cup; therefore, there is a gripping force between the plate and the cup at a point around the top circumference of the beverage container. The interface between the McKee invention and the beverage container is by an inverted V-type press fit. The McKee invention is not a snap fit interface and therefore does not provide a positive lock of the plate onto the beverage container. A press fit provides a fit under conditions of an interference or force fit. This type of plate may stack however, it will easily nest making the removal of one plate from a stack of plates difficult.
The McKee invention does not describe a snap fit interface. When a lid is snapped over a beverage container, a seal is maintained. The dimensions of the lid do not interfere with the dimensions of the beverage container at the top or side of the beverage container lip but rather the lid is snapped over the rim of the beverage container. When snapping the lid onto the beverage container, the initial diameter of the skirt of the lid is smaller than the outer dimensions of the lip of the beverage container. As the lid is pushed over the lip of the beverage container, the skirt of the lid is flexed over the lip until it snaps over the lip or rim of the beverage container.
The Boerner invention provides an interface between the plate and the cup via extensions which are either permanent or foldable. The extensions are an integral part of the original plate or attached to the plate by several suggested methods. A person using the Boerner invention will grasp both the extension and the beverage container simultaneously. The extensions lie substantially horizontal or perpendicular to the plane of food when they interface with the beverage container. The Boerner invention will not provide a method to seal the contents of the beverage container while the plate or tray is utilized with the beverage container.
All three of the Patterson inventions describe a plate and glass assembly which allows one to carry a plate and drinking glass in one hand. The assembly comprises a plate and a glass with a mechanism to interface between them such as a lip, U-channel, slot, tongue-and-groove, or the like to couple the plate to the cup. An optional drinking straw port is provided for some versions of the Patterson invention when it is not desirable to remove the plate. Patterson's invention also includes separate caps or clips for adapting any number of beverage container styles to fit a generic glass holder. There is no compliance or flexibility associated with Patterson's invention such as would be required for a snap fit type plate to beverage container interface. The plate geometry is disclosed as a horizontal or flat plate with no delineation as to food stuffs compartments. The preferred embodiment of the Patterson invention interfaces the plate with a lip or ridge on a partial edge of the beverage container.
The prior art associated with the Rush, Varano and Von Holdt patents refers to beverage container lids. This prior art represents lids with beaded rims for engaging the beverage container without reference to the duality of utilizing the lid for a plate or tray.
The invention disclosed within this submission refers to a mating relationship of a plate-lid to the beverage container which is distinctly different than any prior art. This invention refers to a snap fit relationship of the plate-lid to the beverage container. A seal is formed when the skirted area of the plate-lid engages around the lip or rim of the beverage container. This type of interface is described within the accompanying objects of invention and summary of invention. This type of mating interface improves the utility of the food serving tray or lid by providing a positive sealing mechanism of the plate-lid to beverage container over prior art.